DR. JEN GUNTER
OBSTETRICIAN AND GYNECOLOGIST You may think that calling out a $250-million wellness empire headed by Gwyneth Paltrow on its wild claims is a straight-up power move. However, Dr. Jen Gunter is simply on a mission to shed light on the pervasive myths and misinformation (both online and off) surrounding women’s health.
The Winnipeg-born, San Francisco-based obstetrician and gynecologist, who has specialized in vulvar and vaginal diseases for nearly three decades, never intended on making a living by debunking pseudo-science and sensational health claims touted by celebs. That is, until she gave birth prematurely to her twin sons. Like anyone with access to a computer, Gunter sought to educate herself by searching for information online only to be faced with pages upon pages of false claims and methods not backed up by science. “I started to think, ‘If there’s that much misinformation about prematurity, then what the hell are MY patients reading about women’s health?’” she says over the phone.
Fondly referred to as Twitter’s resident gynecologist, Gunter highlights the truths about women’s health not only on the social media platform but also on her blog and in two columns (weekly and monthly) that she pens for The New York Times. She recently released her first book, The Vagina Bible, which provides fact-checked and medically backed information on anything and everything you need to know about women’s health. “There is so much patriarchal messaging in everything surrounding the ‘dirty’ aspect of women’s bodies,” says Gunter. “And that’s because telling women they are dirty is profitable.” Needless to say, Gunter touches on the harms of douches and wipes, the purpose of having hair down there and more.
As for her other projects, Gunter is writing a book on menopause and currently stars in her very own CBC show called Jensplaining, which focuses on debunking common myths and issues (“like your life is over when you hit menopause or the fact that people can’t even say the word ‘period’”). As the old phrase states, knowledge is power, and Gunter is making it her life’s work to ensure that women are armed with facts in order to regain power over the choices they make about their bodies.